Polycrystalline diamond compacts, and related methods and applications

• US 8,663,349 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation (ChampionX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation (ChampionX Corporation)
• Inventors: Sani, Mohammad N., Gonzalez, Jair J., Dadson, Andrew E., Mukhopadhyay, Debkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen, Kaj K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Christie, Ross J
• Application Number:
  US12/608,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 512/97
• US Class Current: 51/297
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/24 After-treatment of workpieces or articles B22F3/1146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/00 Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 18/0009 using moulds or presses
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 18/0027 by impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/10 for porous or cellular structure, e.g. for use with diamonds as abrasives
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3817 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3847 Tungsten carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/427 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5445 submicron sized, i.e. from 0,1 to 1 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5472 Bimodal, multi-modal or multi-fraction
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/528 obtained from carbonaceous particles with or without other non-organic components
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/645 Pressure sintering
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/28 for etching iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12056 Entirely inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) and methods of fabricating polycrystalline diamond tables and PDCs in a manner that facilitates removal of metal-solvent catalyst used in the manufacture of polycrystalline diamond tables of such PDCs.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a leached polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:

mixing a plurality of diamond particles with a plurality of sacrificial particles to form a mixture, wherein the plurality of sacrificial particles are present in the mixture in a concentration of greater than 0 to about 5 weight %;

subjecting the mixture to a first high-pressure/high-temperature process having a pressure of about 5 GPa to about 10 GPa and a temperature of about 1300°

C. to about 1600°

C., in the presence of a metal-solvent catalyst comprising a material different from the sacrificial particles, to sinter the mixture and form a polycrystalline diamond table, wherein the polycrystalline diamond table comprises a sacrificial material including the plurality of sacrificial particles, at least one reaction product of the plurality of diamond particles and the plurality of sacrificial particles, or combinations thereof;

leaching at least a portion of the metal-solvent catalyst and at least a portion of the sacrificial material from the polycrystalline diamond table so that the metal-solvent catalyst is present therein in a concentration of less than 0.85 weight %;

positioning the leached polycrystalline diamond table adjacent to a substrate to form an assembly;

subjecting the assembly to a second high-pressure/high-temperature process to at least partially infiltrate the leached polycrystalline diamond table with a metallic infiltrant from at least one of the substrate or an infiltrant layer, wherein the metallic infiltrant includes cobalt; and

at least partially leaching the metallic infiltrant from a region of the infiltrated polycrystalline diamond table.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sacrificial particles of the mixture comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of tungsten particles and tungsten carbide particles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the plurality of sacrificial particles in the mixture is about 1.5 weight % to about 2.5 weight %.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein leaching at least a portion of the metal-solvent catalyst and at least a portion of the sacrificial material from the polycrystalline diamond table so that the metal-solvent catalyst is present therein in a concentration of less than 0.85 weight % comprises exposing the polycrystalline diamond table to an acid, wherein the acid includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sacrificial particles of the mixture includes particles made from at least one member selected from the group consisting titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, alloys thereof, and carbides thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the plurality of sacrificial particles in the mixture is about 1 weight % to about 2 weight %.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the plurality of sacrificial particles in the mixture is about 2 weight %.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial material includes tungsten carbide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the metal-solvent catalyst after the act of leaching but prior to the act of infiltration is about 0.20 weight % to about 0.55 weight %.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the metal-solvent catalyst after the act of leaching but prior to the act of infiltration is about 0.50 weight % to about 0.78 weight %.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-solvent catalyst includes cobalt, iron, nickel, or alloys thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate includes a cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide substrate including the metallic infiltrant therein.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the infiltrant layer includes the metallic infiltrant therein.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the metallic infiltrant includes a cobalt alloy having the cobalt therein.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate exhibits a non-planar interfacial surface.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the leached polycrystalline diamond table exhibits a nonplanar surface having a topography that corresponds to a topography of the non-planar interfacial surface of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate exhibits a substantially planar interfacial surface.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the second high-pressure/high-temperature process has a pressure of about 5 GPa to about 10 GPa and a temperature of about 1300°

C. to about 1600°

C.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the region of the infiltrated polycrystalline diamond table from which the metallic infiltrant has been removed exhibits a depth from a working surface of the infiltrated polycrystalline diamond table of about 250 μ

m to about 400 μ

m.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the depth is about 250 μ

m to about 300 μ

m.